Rose showered, and rather then go to her place, she walked towards Lissa's apartment looking for some company for dinner. She figured she could even tolerate Christian, if it meant she wasn't alone and dwelling on her fight with Adrian. Honestly, did he really think she didn't trust him? Shaking her head, she knocked on Lissa's door, and walked in without waiting for an answer.
"Hey, Rose. Adrian was looking for you," Lissa smiled automatically from the couch. Her hands were entwined with Christian's, and her head tucked his chin. Rose scowled, and said, "Yeah, he found me. Got anything to eat?" Lissa nodded, and exchanged a look with Christian. Quietly, he slipped out the door, and Lissa followed Rose into the kitchen, "Did you guys fight or something?"
"He thinks I don't trust him," Rose vented, slamming the fridge door, "Because I didn't want to tell him what all the meetings have been about lately." Lissa frowned, twirling the end of her long, pale hair as she said, "Well, why didn't you want to?" As she threw together a sandwich, she sighed, figuring she might as well tell Lissa too, "There's a large Strigoi group, led by some badass ex-female guardian turned Strigoi, that's after the court. More specifically, you and Adrian are big targets." Lissa nodded, taking this in stride, repeating, "Why didn't you want to tell him?"
"I just didn't want him to worry. Adrian gives off a smug, I'm-so-confident air, but I know he would stress about this," Rose explained, seating herself with Lissa at the large table. Lissa frowned, considering the situation, and finally said, "Maybe you should go find him, Rose." Rose sighed, nodding, "I know. I just don't know what I'd say, you know?" Lissa nodded, and stole the last bit of Rose's sandwich, "Just be honest. You meant well, I think, and once he sees that it won't matter anymore. And really, Rose, you'll face a hoard of Strigoi but you won't deal with this?" Rose laughed, and shot Lissa a grin, "They are less scary. Trust me. Thanks, Liss." She hugged her tight, then headed for the door. Just before she left, Lissa said, "Oh, and we're going shopping tomorrow, so be ready!"
"Shopping? Liss, this really isn't a great time to leave court.." Rose trailed off, frowning at her friend. Lissa was positively glowing, and Rose realized she had been blocking her emotions from her. Suddenly, a powerful wave of excitement, nervousness and love flooded through her, and Lissa help up her left hand. A gleaming, subtle diamond ring sat on her wedding finger. Rose could only stare for a moment, and Lissa laughed, "God, are you really speechless?"
"Liss.. that's a ring. No, that's a ring!" Rose exclaimed, staring at her hand in wonder. Christian's voice smugly said, "Yes, Rosemarie, it's a damn expensive ring. I see you approve."
"Who knew fire-boy had taste," Rose murmured, still in wonder as she took Lissa's hand, examining it. Suddenly, she shot Lissa a huge smile, "Oh, my god."
"I know."
"Oh my god!" Rose threw her arms around Lissa, and Christian chuckled, "Girls." Lissa hugged Rose back, and eagerly said, "We want to have the wedding after new years, while Tasha can still be a part of it. So we need to start shopping as soon as possible!"
"I guess we can risk a hoard of evil Strigoi for a wedding dress," Rose rationalized. Laughing, Lissa said, "Go find Adrian! You two need to be on good terms, I don't want to sit in a car with you both if you aren't!" Rose rolled her eyes, but hugged Lissa again, and surprised them all by throwing her arms around Christian. He returned the hug, and was bright red as Rose bid them goodbye, feeling a lot happier then she had on the way in.
Rose stopped at home to change before going on her Adrian hunt. She wore a red sweater he had bought her for Christmas last year, and a pair of light blue jeans. It was nearly dawn, and not many people were outside, but since Rose couldn't find him in his rooms she decided to try the commons area. Hands in her pockets, she walked briskly, trying to heat her sore, cold muscles.
"You'll get sick if your out here in just a flimsy sweater, Hathaway," Eddie's joking voice called from her right, "What good would you be as a guardian then?" Rose grinned, and said, "Hey Eddie, have you seen Adrian anywhere?"
"Your his guardian," Eddie pointed out, "Shouldn't you know where he is?" Rolling her eyes, she said goodbye quickly, and made another round back to Adrian's rooms. Still no luck. Where the hell could he be? Giving up, she made her way back to the guardian dorms, and unlocked her door. Rather then undress, she just fell into bed, her tired muscles thanking her for the release. She only intended to close her eyes for a moment, but within seconds, she was fast asleep.
As soon as she realized she was dreaming, she knew it was an Adrian dream. She was sitting in a vast, grassy field, filled with wildflowers and the occasional tree or two. She was wearing a bright yellow sundress, a wide brimmed wicker hat, and long, elegant white gloves. Underneath her was a red checkered table cloth, featuring a picnic basket to her left. She couldn't see Adrian anywhere yet, so rather then look around, she gave him some time to show himself, and got busy pulling things out of the basket. Wait - could you eat in dreams? She eyed the pasta salad container warily, wondering.
"Hey, little Dhampir" Adrian's voice said softly, as he appeared out of nowhere. He wore grey pinstripe trousers, with a white button up shirt tucked in under dark suspenders. A grey jacket was tucked over his arm, and his hair sexy and tousled. She grinned as he sat, "Who are we supposed to be?"
"I saw a picture of my parents dressed like this, back in the day. Thought it was kinda cool," he grinned, plucking a cookie from a tray, "Don't you like it?"
"Not really my style," Rose smiled again. They sat in silence for a moment, before Rose sighed, knowing she had to be the one to initiate conversation.
"I looked for you tonight," she started casually. Adrian raised an eyebrow, nodding, "I was at my sisters. Ana's pregnant again, you know. I guess one little devil wasn't enough for her." Rose smiled, nodding, "That's great. You'll be an uncle twice over now. I'm glad Ana is happy." This was met with silence, and she ran a hand through her hair, "Adrian, I didn't mean for things to happen how they did. I really don't want you to worry about this. I'm handling it."
"I know your my guardian, but you don't have to handle things alone," He replied, and Rose shook her head, "This, I will. The leader - Lara, she wants you, Adrian. She has some sort of personal vendetta with the Ivashkovs, and since your in line for the throne, your a huge target. If her and I went one on one, right now - I think I would lose." Adrian started to protest, but Rose shook her head, continuing, "The Queen realizes that too. I think that's why she summoned me today. She let me know just how deadly Lara is, and I decided I needed to step things up. Gorbachov just isn't enough - I need to do more on my own as well."
"I'm not going to sit here while you work yourself into the ground," Adrian scowled, "If you believe that, you don't know me very well." Rose smiled, staring out at the field around them, "I know I pushed myself too far today. I won't do that again, I promise."
"Is there something going on between you and Belikov?" Adrian suddenly asked, watching her closely. Rose shook her head, still staring out at nothing, "If anything, I'm closer to being over it then I have ever been. Why?" Adrian shrugged, "I wondered." Rose glanced at him from the corner of her eye, and grinned her killer, patented Rose Hathaway grin, "Jealous, Ivashkov?"
"Not likely," Adrian rolled his eyes, but Rose just laughed, "Are we okay, Adrian?" He nodded, and smiled, "I couldn't stay mad at you for long anyways, little Dhampir. Now why don't you get some rest. I'm sure your body needs it." Rose nodded, and as he started to fade away, she heard him whisper, "Sweet dreams."
When Rose woke a few hours later, she felt as if every muscle in her body had been hit with a sledgehammer. Groaning, she sat up, rubbing her bleary eyes. Besides the sore muscles, she had slept really well. Well, after she saw Adrian, that is. Sitting up, she stretched, relieving some tension in her back, and looked around at the dirty laundry for something decent to wear to the mall. She wanted to wear something hot, but had to remember she was still on guardian duty during the trip. Settling on a pair of light blue jeans and a fitted black sweater, she left her long hair wild and wavy, bringing a tie for when they were outside in possible Strigoi territory. Grabbing a apple, she locked her door behind her, jogging into the bright sun. Grinning, she lifted her head, enjoying the feeling of it warming her face.
"You make it look like we're really missing out," Adrian's voice called. Rose shot him a grin, and though his eyes were obscured by dark sunglasses, she could sense the humor in them. They started on their way to the large garage complex that housed most of the vehicles at court. Adrian opened the door for her, but she paused, and reached up, taking his sunglasses off, "This should be safe, but if Court is being watched, we may have trouble. If we do, you'll listen to me." She stated, didn't ask, and Adrian stared at her for a second, before nodding, "Yeah, Rose." She nodded, and shoved the sunglasses on her face, "Alright then." She ducked inside, and Adrian followed, finding Lissa and Christian waiting for them. Eddie and Dimitri were coming along as guardians, as well as two others Rose knew casually from work - Guardian Mercer, and Guardian Odell.
"This it?" Rose asked, pulling her hair into a ponytail. Lissa shook her head, and said, "Tasha is on her way down, too." As if on cue, Tasha walked in, shooting them all a friendly smile, "Sorry I'm late." They piled into two SUV's, Moroi in the center seats, gaurdians surrounding them as much as possible. Lissa frowned, and turned in her seat to see Rose between a window and Adrian, "Why are we being so careful? We've never had to leave Court this protected before."
"The Strigoi group is a serious threat, Princess," Guardian Mercer replied from Adrian's other side, "We are merely taking precautions." Lissa nodded, but when she glanced back at Rose, she saw the doubt starting to form in Lissa's eyes. Instead of continuing with the Strigoi conversation, she went to change the subject, but Adrian beat her saying, "So, you girls need lingerie for weddings? Because I volunteer my advice and knowledge on the subject." Rose laughed as Lissa blushed, and shook her head, "I think we will manage without you, Adrian."
"Besides," Christian threw in from beside Lissa, "Your on suit duty with me, man. Lets use your knowledge there." Lissa started reminding Christian what he was looking for, and Adrian leaned closer to Rose, whispering cheekily, "I wasn't kidding about the lingerie, you know." Elbowing him, Rose replied, "You've seen enough girls in lingerie, Ivashkov. Give it a rest."
Getting to the mall was relatively fast - it wasn't far from the Court's location. They pulled into a full parking lot, a little after two pm. Dimitri and Guardian Odell were out first, scanning the area. Rose waited impatiently for her turn as the two disappeared to blend into the background, to watch as far guard. This left Rose and the last guardian - Guardian Mercer, who was younger and would blend in with them well. They climbed out with the rest of the Moroi, going straight into the mall.
"Dresses first," Lissa declared, but Christian shook his head, "Adrian, lets go."
"Where?" Adrian asked, grinning, "I really wouldn't mind watching them try pretty things on." Rose snorted, and said, "He's right. Go." She let the others know through the radio what they were doing, and the girls went into a beautiful dress store.
After two hours of trying on dresses, Mercer looked like he was going to collapse from boredom. Rose could sympathize - the first hour was a blast, but Lissa couldn't find something that really stuck out. Rose leaned against a wall near the change room entrance, tapping her foot to some random rhythm.
"You girls almost done?" Christian's voice asked. Rose looked up and rolled her eyes, "Don't even get me started, fire-boy. You should have known better then to promise Lissa a wedding a month away. She could take years planning this out."
"Thats what your here for," Christian grinned, slipped past her into the change room. Deeming the dress store pretty secured, she started to wander around, wondering what color Lissa was thinking for bridemaids dresses. She eyed up some jewellery in a display case, and a necklace caught her eye. It was white gold, a thin, delicate chain with a beautiful rose pendant. She didn't even bother with the price tag - why torture herself more? Instead, she turned, and ran straight into Adrian.
"Careful, Little Dhampir," he said smoothly, glancing at the rose pendant, "Shopping for something in particular?" Rose blushed, hating being caught admiring something that was so obviously not her, "Escaping wedding dress hell, actually." Adrian laughed, and said, "Not interested in wedding dresses yet?"
"Nowhere to put my stake," Rose bantered back, giving him a grin. She heard laughter from the other guardians through her ear piece, and Adrian chuckled, "I think that's the point." Rose began to weave through the racks of clothes again, Adrian following, and she said, "How did suit shopping go?"
"He figured it out," Adrian shrugged easily, "I offered him something from my closet, but he turned me down. Said something that implied the way I look isn't Lissa-worthy. Is that true?" Rose laughed, glancing behind her to catch his eye for a second, "Lissa likes someone who cares less about clothes then she does." Adrian grasped his heart, and pretended to be shocked, "You wound me, Little Dhampir. I never claimed to like clothes any more then normal."
"Thats why your wearing an Armani tie with white-wash jeans, right?" Rose teased, and Adrian just shot her a grin that made her heart flutter. She paused, going to reply but her ear piece buzzed, Guardian Odell claiming, "Half hour to sunrise, folks. Time to get the Moroi back to the wards." Abruptly, Rose changed from friend to guardian, and she took Adrian's arm, "Come on, Adrian. Time to go." The other guardians were entering the store, and Rose left Adrian with them to round up Lissa and Tasha. She walked briskly into the change rooms just as she heard a loud squeal.
"This is IT!" Lissa burst happily when she saw Rose, twirling. Rose nodded, admiring - Lissa looked stunning. It was a beautiful ivory dress with intricate beading on the bodice, and a full, fluffy skirt falling to her ankles. The front was cut into a sweetheart shape, and if Lissa wore her hair down, it would look like she came from the pages of a magazine..
As she paid for it, Rose met with the others, and soon they were on their way. It was five thirty, and the sun was starting to lower in the sky. The Moroi no longer needed sunglasses, but that also mean't Strigoi would be up and about soon. The guardians were tense - Rose could feel it, but the Moroi barely noticed. Hanging back a bit, Rose fell into step with Dimitri, "Where are the trucks?"
"Around the corner," he said, eyes never leaving the surrounding landscape. Rose nodded, and as they turned a corner, she ran into Lissa, who had been steps in front of her.
"Lissa, what-" Rose started, but the guardians in front were defensive, already forming a circle around the Moroi. It was then Rose detected the faint nausea feeling rolling in her stomach. Looking to the SUV's, she saw a beautiful woman leaning casually on the hood of one. Her flaming red hair waved in the wind, and red eyes stared at them, a mocking grin on her face. She wore tattered jeans and a white tank top, but her pose radiated pure confidence. She didn't need a photograph to know who she was - they had described her perfectly.
Lara.